Speed controlling apparatus for yarn twisting machines



April 1960 H. E. LLOYD 2,933,881

SPEED CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR YARN TWISTING MACHINES Filed April 16, 1957 FIG.'1.

a/ INVENTOR.

Harold E .LLoyd diiorlgy SPEED CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR TWISTING MACHINES Harold Lloyd, Tobaccoville, N.C., assignor to The Duplan Corporation, New York, N.Y.', .a corporation of Delaware Application April 16, 1957, Serial N 653,125

4 Claims. 01. 51-93 ment controlling the rate of speed at which a friction-' drive roll is rotated, and hence controlling the speed at which the yarn take-up spool is rotated.

. By means of the apparatus herein described, the rate of speed of the friction roll can be varied at predetermined'times, thus varying the twists in the yarn without halting the movement or progress of the yarn and without requiring stoppage of the twisting apparatus or requiring the changing of gears. 1 Q

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a cork-covered or friction-drive roll connected by a train of gearing to a variable speed changing device controlled either by cam means or manually, to enable the speed of the friction-drive roll to be varied smoothly, speedily "and at such predetermined times as may be required or desired to control the twist applied to the yarns.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing,rwherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is an elevational side view of a speed-controlling applaratus constructed in accordance with the invention, an 1 2 is a view looking at the same from the right of Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates generally, one end frame member of the apparatus. Suitably mounted on the frame is a change-speed apparatus of known type and which takes any one speed at its input shaft 3 and delivers infinitely variable speeds from the output shaft 10. A change-speed mechanism of this character found very suitable for the purpose is that known as the Revco Zero-max manufactured by Revco, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Other variables-speed mechanisms can also be successfully used. I

The input shaft 3 of the change-speed device 2 carries a helical gear 9 which engages a helical gear 9a on shaft 8 which shaft carries a gear 7 (Fig. 1) meshing with a gear 6 on a motor shaft 5 extending from the electric motor 4. The motor can, if desired, be a reversible one so that the spindles can be rotated in either direction without changing the direction of the cork-covered or friction drive roll shown at 25. The drive of the input shaft 3 from the motor 4 is illustrative, as the input shaft 3 may, if desired, be driven in any one of a number of other ways.

By means of the mechanism contained within the housing of the variable speed unit 2, and which is controlled by the position of a pivotally movable arm 12, the rate Patent of output speed, or the speed of the shaft shown at 10,.

part of the frame 1. cam 34 which is operative against a cam roller 31 carried ice is controlled. That is to say, when the arm 12 is moved to the extreme'left the slowest speed, or no rotation at all of shaft 10 will result while the arm 12, when oppositely swung will increase the rotative speed of shaft 16.

Secured on the output shaft 10 is a gear 11 which meshes with gear 13 rotative on a shaft 14-on frame 1. The gear 13 is secured, coupled'to or made integral with gear 15 which meshes with a gear 16, secured on a shaft 17 rotative in a suitable bearing on the portion 1a of the frame. Also secured on the shaft 17 is a larger gear 18 that meshes with a similar gear 22 secured on a shaft 23 that is rotated in a bearing 24 provided on the frame ele-I ment 1a. The roll 25, mounted on the shaft 23, is cork I covered and constitutes a frictio -drive roll which peripherally contacts with a portionof the yarn take-up spool or the spindle on which such spool is mounted, to thereby cause rotative movement of the take-up spool at the de-' sired speed, and which may be automatically or manually varied as will be explained to control the twist applied .to the yarn.

Secured on theshaft 17 is a small sprocket 19, and a.

chain 20, extending around said sprocket, also passes around a larger sprocket 21, secured on a shaft 32, ro-' tatively mounted inv a bearing bracket 33 provided on a Also secured on the shaft 32, is a by a lever 29 pivoted at its lower end, as indicated at 3%} in a part of frame 1. This arrangement, is such that as shaft 32 is rotated by means of the chain drive 211 from sprocket119, the lever 29 will be oscillated or swung back and forth at predetermined times. The lever 29 is connected to the control arm 12 by means of a link shown at 26, said link having one end pivotally connected at 28 to-the arm 29 and its other end pivotally and adjustabl-y connected at 27 to the control arm 12.

From the foregoing, the operation of the described ap paratus will be apparent. By drive from the motor 4, the input shaft 3 of the variable-speed device 2 is driven at a selected speed. 'The speed at which the output shaft 10 is rotated and the speed at which the shaft 23 is driven,

is controlled by the position of the control arm 12. In the particular variable-speed device herein referred to, the control arm 12 normally tends to swing toward tie left, or to minimum-speed position, as viewed in Fig. l, and it thus tends to maintain the cam roller 31 in constant contact with the edge of the cam 34. If a variable-speed control is employed in which this tendency is not present in a control arm, a suitably-applied spring may be employed to maintain the cam roller 31 against the cam 34. Through the train of gears, consisting of the gears 11, 13,115, 16, 18 and 22, the shaft 23, and hence the cork roller 35 thereon, will be rotated. As the cam. 34 is rotated it will cause oscillating movements to be applied to the lever 29 and the same, through its connection by link 26 with the control arm 12, will move said control arm accordingly, such movements of the control arm tending to change the output speed of shaft 10. Thus, when the speed of the shaft 10 is altered the speed of shaft 23 will be altered accordingly and the take-up speed of the yarn spool varied, resulting in variance of the twist imparted to the yarn. As a result, the yarn will have variable twist, the pattern thereof being dependent upon the length of time the cork roll is run for each setting of the control arm 12.

While I have herein suggested that the operation of the control arm 12 shall be dependent upon the automatic w movements of the lever 29, it will be apparent that this secure a constantly uniform rotational speed of the cork roll. While the apparatus is so arranged the control arm 12 can be manually moved from oneto any other setting whenever desired, to thus effect a different rotational speed and hence a variance in the twist of't'he yarn.

While I have herein described a singleembodiinent of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A variable speed control for yarn-twisting devices comprising, a friction-drive roll for a yarn spindle, a variable speed device having an input shaft and an output shaft, means for rotating the input shaft at a selected speed, the speed device having a controlling lever by means of which the speed of the output shaft is controlled, a gear train between the output shaft and the friction-driveroll, cam means operated from said gear train, and coupling means between the cam means and the controlling lever by which the control lever is caused to be moved a number of times at spaced predetermined periods during the rotation of the friction-drive roll and during the wind-up of each yarn package to thereby intermittently vary for predetermined periods the speed of the friction drive roll to cause intermittent variation in the rotation of the speed of the yarn spindle, resulting in intermittent variation in the twist of the yarn produced in each package on said spindle.

2. A variable speed device for yarn-twisting apparatus comprising, a rotatable shaft carrying a cork-covered roll for a yarn spindle, a variable speed device having an output shaft the speed of whichis controlled by a lever forming part of the variable speed device, means for driving the rotatable shaft from the output shaft, and means for automatically and intermittently causing shift of the control lever at spaced predetermined times during the rotative movement of the rotatable shaft and a number of times during the winding of yarn in a single package, thereby causing intermittent variation in the speed of the rotatable shaft, resulting in intermittent variation in the twist of the yarn in each package produced on said spindle.

3. A variable speed device for yarn-twisting apparatus comprising, a rotatable shaft carrying a friction-drive roll for a yarn spindle, a motor, gearing interposed between the motor and shaft for rotatably driving the shaft, said gearing including a variable change-speed device delivering infinitely variable speeds by lever movement, and a lever by the movement of which the speeds of the said change-speed device are periodically varied a substantially large number of times during the winding of each yarn package, so that the yarn in each package so produced will be intermittently varied in twist for distances along its length.

4. A variable speed control device for yarn-twisting apparatus comprising, a friction-drive, cork-faced roll for a yarn spindle, a variable speed device having an input shaft and an output shaft, motor-driven means for rotating the input shaft at a selected speed, the speed device having a pivotally-mounted controlling lever by means of which the speed of the output shaft is controlled, a gear train located between the output shaft and the friction-driven cork-faced roll, cam means chain-driven from said gear train, said cam means including a swinging member, a connection between said swinging member and the controlling lever by means of which the controlling lever is moved intermittently at a number of predetermined times during the rotation of the cork-faced roll and during the winding of a single yarn package, to thereby intermittently and repeatedly vary the speed of the roll during the winding of the yarn in said single package, thereby varying the twist of the yarn in said package at predetermined points along the length of said yarn.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,735,257 Legard et al Feb, 21, 1956 

